I live in a house full of people who thrive on irritating each other. Hubby irritates Kamalani, Kamalani irritates Meg and Meg irritates me. Do I irritate anyone? Of course not, I get even.

Lastnight is a sample of the vicious irritation cycle coming full circle:

Kamalani was watching a DVD, or rather not watching a DVD but had the menu music playing endlessly on the television. Hubby was sitting at the computer with his back turned to her. He got tired of hearing the song play over and over so ….

Hubby: What is somebody doing?
Kamalani: just ignores him
Hubby: Um helllllo .. what is somebody doing?
Kamalani: continues ignorings him
Hubby: Hellllooooo, I said what is somebody doing?
Kamalani: sighs then replies Do you know what I’m going to say?
Hubby: No, what are you going to say?
Kamalani: I’m going to say, nunya.
Me: cracking up silently in the kitchen
Hubby: Why did you say that to me?
Kamalani: I said it because that’s what you always say to me.

Sucks to be hubby! That’s his payback for irritating her all the time, she turned the tables on him.

I know it’s nothing to get overly excited about but I’m easily excited in my advanced age. We hardly ever get snow here but while I was sitting and waiting for a pie crust to cool, I looked out at the falling rain and thought to myself how neat it would be if it started snowing and a few seconds later, white flakes started falling from the sky. I guess it’s kind of creepy but at the same time, I’m excited about the snow.

Kamalani is dressing herself in warm winter clothing so she can go outside to enjoy whatever little snowflakes fall upon her.

During the holidays, we all have a role to play. My role has always been the cook. Yes, as much as I hate planning, shopping and preparing them, I always end up doing it. Well, this year we decided to go with something non-traditional for our feast so I marinated some ribs which hubby barbecued along with some kielbasa while I made sashimi, stuffed mushrooms and macaroni salad. For dessert, I made two banana cream pies and a jello cheesecake. Normally, we have those tiny nilla wafer blueberry and cherry cheesecakes but this year I wanted to experiment with the cookie cutters to make Christmas shapes out of green jello against the strawberry jello topping. It didn’t look as pretty as I had hoped but it was still off the hook, as my sons would say.

Kamalani was happy with the things she got for Christmas. She got two dresses, one that she used for midnight mass, she got a metal Little mermaid musical jewelry box from her mom. She got 2 more books for her leap pad library. She also got a porcelain Little Mermaid display which I’ve tucked away for safe keeping. She also had a little pony which she can add to her other little ponies and she has a set of Mary Kay and Ashley dolls so she and her mom can play together.

I spoke to all of my sons and we exchanged Christmas greetings and that made me day. It’s not the same as being with all of them but hearing their voices was more than I could ask for on Christmas.

We’ve already taken down the Christmas decorations around the house, which wasn’t much anyway. We’re not sure yet if we’re going to have a New Year’s get together with the boys from Hawaii. Last time we got together on New Year’s I ended up sick from too much tequila shots. Them local boys are so sneaky!!!

I don’t know what possessed me to schedule a tooth extraction during Christmas week. Oh wait, I do know. Appointments are more precious than poi here. Whenever I call for an appointment, it’s usually for 2 weeks later and if you’re unable to make that appointment at the very last minute because you fell sick you’ll just have to reschedule for another two weeks later. That means you’re appointment time is a month since your original call. Really, who in their right mind would pass up any available appointments?

If their only opening was on Christmas day at 6:00 a.m., I would’ve taken it - - and I’m NOT a morning person. So here I am, just four days until Christmas with a sore jaw. Oh joy! Hubby wants to eat BBQ ribs and I’m already cringing at the thought of meat against the tender gum where my tooth once sat.

There is a bright side to this event. Kamalani thinks I can’t talk because I was biting on a gauze and couldn’t speak to her right after my appointment so she thinks I still can’t talk which means I can’t play with her, read to her or interact with her. See, there is light at the end of the tunnel! Christmas is starting to get merry.

Whenever I heard PBS, it reminds me of a day that Kamalani came home from Day Care and asked why her teacher called her PB.

Well, it just so happens her classroom teachers are Filipino with strong accents so whenever they try to pronounce her name (Phoebe), it comes out PB. Since we rarely call her by her first name, she doesn’t normally respond to it, add that to the fact that the teachers cannot pronounce it correctly and we have one confused preschooler. Since that day, we always tease her when she forces us to sit through PBSKids. Today we were saying stuff like, “PB, iS naughty” and “PB, S stinky”, just tormenting her the same way she torments us. ~L~